"We stand in honor and appreciation of these thunderous souls, who ascended and hovered in Heaven to dwell by their Lord, cast their shadow, and entered the heart, soul, and memory of every Palestinian and of every Arab who belongs to Palestine"

Fatah on leader of those killers:

"The legend that doesn't die"

"The Martyr hero Dalal Mughrabi"

The murder of 37 Israeli civilians was "bravest victory"

Dying while murdering 37 Israeli civilians is a "spectacular way to die"

This is how Fatah video marks the anniversary of The Coastal Road massacre - the murder of the 12 children pictured here and 25 adults.

fBy Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdikh

Marking the 40th anniversary of the most lethal terror attack in Israel's history in which 12 children and 25 Israeli adult civilians were murdered by Palestinian terrorists, Fatah posted a video celebrating the attack and glorifying the murderers, in particular the leader of the attack, female terrorist Dalal Mughrabi. Palestinians have referred to the hijacked bus in which most of the Israelis were murdered, as "the first Palestinian Republic," because the bus remained under the terrorists' control for a few hours, as they drove from Haifa in the north to the center of the country, while shooting at civilian cars they passed on the way.

Texts in Fatah's video praising Mughrabi focus on the fact that the leader of the attack was a woman, and credit her with being "the president of the first republic":k

h
"The name of the president of the first republic was Dalal Mughrabi.

Heroism has no gender.

Arab men must understand that they don't have a monopoly on the glory of life or the glory of death,

and women can love much more nobly than the way they love, and die in a much more spectacular way than they die"

[Official Fatah Facebook page, March 11, 2018]

Other texts in Fatah's video described the terror attack as "the bravest victory" and portrayed the hijacking of a bus full of Israeli civilians as the establishment of "the Palestinian republic" and of "the temporary capital of the State of Palestine":l

g
"Twelve men under the command of a woman named Dalal Mughrabi.

They succeeded in establishing Palestine after the world refused to recognize their right to establish it.

They boarded a bus from Haifa to Tel Aviv and turned it into the temporary capital of the State of Palestine.

And raised the flag of the white-green- red-black colors at the front of the bus, and sang, called out, and danced as school students do on trips.

When the Zionist forces surrounded them and helicopters chased them in order to overtake the bus with weapons, [Dalal and her men] blew it up and were blown up together with it.

For the first time in the history of revolutions a public bus turned into a fully sovereign independent republic for four hours...

The name of the president of the first republic was Dalal Mughrabi." (See full text below.)

Palestinian Media Watch reported yesterday that Fatah's women's committee at the Palestinian universities - "Sisters of Dalal" - celebrated International Women's Day by giving out cards to women at An-Najah University with text praising Mughrabi and encouraging women to believe in themselves.

Similarly, the Jerusalem branch of Fatah sent a greeting to Palestinian women on Women's Day, emphasizing they are "partners in the struggle" and that Palestinian women have "carried out the most prominent acts of heroism," and prominent among these women is "praiseworthy Martyr Dalal Mughrabi":

"The Jerusalem branch emphasized in its notice that women - partners in the struggle - have through their struggle and resolve in the face of the occupation carried out the most prominent acts of heroism and sacrifice in history, as they are the Martyrs (Shahids), prisoners, and wounded...

At this opportunity, the Jerusalem branch... mentioned praiseworthy Martyr Dalal Mughrabi, especially in light of the approaching 40th anniversary of her death as a Martyr."

[Ma'an, independent Palestinian news agency, March 7, 2018]

PMW reported recently on a Fatah video in which Abbas' movement tried to hide they murdered children in the Coastal Road massacre. Instead they claimed everyone on the bus were "soldier passengers."

Abbas' Fatah Movement further honored the murderers from the attack as "thunderous souls, who ascended and hovered in Heaven":

f
"We stand in honor and appreciation of these thunderous souls, who ascended and hovered in Heaven to dwell by their Lord, cast their shadow, and entered the heart, soul, and memory of every Palestinian and of every Arab who belongs to Palestine.

Blessings to the soul of eternal Martyr Dalal Mughrabi, and blessings to all of the Martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Palestine."

[Official Fatah Facebook page, March 10, 2018]

Fatah's Bethlehem branch posted two photos of terrorist Mughrabi. One, a photoshopped image, praising her as "the legend that doesn't die":j

iPosted text: "The legend that doesn't die

Self-sacrificing fighter (Fida'iya) Dalal Mughrabi"

[Facebook page of the Fatah Movement - Bethlehem Branch,

March 10, 2018]

The other image showed Mughrabi in military uniform, wearing an Arab headdress and the Palestinian flag.

Posted text: "'My enemy, I will not compromise, I will resist until my last heartbeat'

The 40th anniversary of the death as a Martyr (Shahida) of hero Dalal Mughrabi"

[Facebook page of the Fatah Movement - Bethlehem Branch,

March 10, 2018]

Marking the anniversary of the attack, the Fatah Movement and two Fatah officials, Fatah Deputy Chairman Mahmoud Al-Aloul and Central Committee member Jamal Muhaisen, all posted a photo of terrorist Mughrabi, calling her a "hero":

Text on image: "The Palestinian National Liberation Movement - Fatah

Mobilization and Organization Commission - Information Bureau

The 40th anniversary of the Martyrdom-death of hero Dalal Mughrabi"

Posted text: "The 40th anniversary of the death as a Martyr of Dalal Mughrabi"

The following are longer excerpts of the reports quoted as well as additional reports and statements glorifying terrorist Mughrabi:

"Women can die in a more spectacular way than men die" - Fatah celebrates terrorist murderer Dalal Mughrabi

Words of love to the one who wreaked havoc in the heart of the enemies.

She raised the flag of the [Palestinian] state, and it was the bravest victory.

The Fatah Movement - Syria Branch

The Committee for Instilling the Ideology and for Research.

This is the hero Dalal Mughrabi.

A sister of the free women and men.

For the 36th anniversary of her death as a Martyr.

Twelve men under the command of a woman named Dalal Mughrabi.

They succeeded in establishing Palestine after the world refused to recognize their right to establish it.

They boarded a bus from Haifa to Tel Aviv and turned it into the temporary capital of the State of Palestine.

And raised the flag of the white-green- red-black colors at the front of the bus, and sang, called out, and danced as school students do on trips.

When the Zionist forces surrounded them and helicopters chased them in order to overtake the bus with weapons, [Dalal and her men] blew it up and were blown up together with it.

For the first time in the history of revolutions a public bus turned into a fully sovereign independent republic for four hours.

It makes no difference how long this Palestinian republic existed; what was important was its establishment.

The name of the president of the first republic was Dalal Mughrabi.

Heroism has no gender.

Arab men must understand that they don't have a monopoly on the glory of life or the glory of death,

and women can love much more nobly than the way they love, and die in a much more spectacular way than they die...

The will of Dalal to the comrades in arms and those bearing rifles:

My will to all of you, my brothers who bear rifles, begins with putting aside the secondary disputes, escalating the main dispute with the Zionist enemy, and directing the rifles - all of the rifles - toward the Zionist enemy.

The independent Palestinian decision making is protected by the rebels' rifles.

To all of the factions, to all of my brothers whoever they may be, I say:

Continue on the same path on which we walked.

The Fatah Movement - Syria Branch; The Committee for Instilling the Ideology and for Research; Indeed this is a revolution until victory.

Caption: "Martyr Dalal during training"

Caption: "Martyr Dalal together with her companions in the operation during the week before the last"

Caption: "Martyr Dalal with her companions in the operation during training"

Caption: "Brother Khaled Abu Asbu and brother Hussein Fayyad [who participated in the attack] were captives for seven years. They are the only survivors."

Caption: "Ehud Barak abusing the body of Martyr Dalal"

Caption: "The bus from the operation. The Zionists have left it at the place where Dalal died as a Martyr"

[Official Fatah Facebook page, March 11, 2018]

Dalal Mughrabi led the most lethal terror attack in Israel's history, known as the Coastal Road massacre, in 1978, when she and other Fatah terrorists hijacked a bus on Israel's Coastal Highway, murdering 37 civilians, 12 of them children, and wounding over 70.

Headline: "The Jerusalem branch of Fatah: Women are a partner in the struggle"

"The Jerusalem branch of the Fatah Movement sent a greeting of honor and appreciation to the female fighters for peace and freedom, to our mothers, our daughters, and our partners in life, and to the brave and praiseworthy female protectors of the struggle. This was for International Women's Day, which occurs tomorrow (Thursday), March 8 [2018].

The Jerusalem branch emphasized in its notice that women - partners in the struggle - have through their struggle and resolve in the face of the occupation carried out the most prominent acts of heroism and sacrifice in history, as they are the Martyrs (Shahids), prisoners, and wounded...

At this opportunity, the Jerusalem branch... mentioned praiseworthy Martyr Dalal Mughrabi (i.e., terrorist who led murder of 37, 12 of them children), especially in light of the approaching 40th anniversary of her death as a Martyr."

[Ma'an, independent Palestinian news agency, March 7, 2018]

Official PA TV program Topic of the Day, episode on Palestinian women for International Women's Day, hosting District Governor of Ramallah and El-Bireh Laila Ghannam

District Governor of Ramallah and El-Bireh Laila Ghannam: "March 8, [International Women's Day,] is a symbolic day for women - let us wish them love throughout the year and not just on March 8. Perhaps the activities are concentrated in March in general - March of women, March of mothers, March of Dalal Mughrabi (i.e., terrorist who led murder of 37, 12 of them children), March of the Karameh [battle], and of the land, March of spring. But women are the spring throughout the year and the seasons, particularly the Palestinian women."

[Official PA TV, Topic of the Day, March 7, 2018]

The Karameh battle, or Al-Karameh - On March 21, 1968, Israeli army forces attacked the town of Karameh in Jordan, where Fatah terrorists had been launching attacks on Israel. Although Israel prevailed militarily, Arafat used the event for propaganda purposes, declaring the battle a great victory that erased the disgrace of the 1967 Six Day War defeat.

Posted text: "On the 40th anniversary of the death as a Martyr (Shahida) of Palestinian fighter Dalal Mughrabi - the lady of place and time who died as a Martyr together with her squad of self-sacrificing fighters (Fedayeen) in March 1978 - we stand in honor and appreciation of these thunderous souls, who ascended and hovered in Heaven to dwell by their Lord, cast their shadow, and entered the heart, soul, and memory of every Palestinian and of every Arab who belongs to Palestine.

Blessings to the soul of eternal Martyr Dalal Mughrabi, and blessings to all of the Martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Palestine."

[Official Fatah Facebook page, March 10, 2018]

Posted text:

"Invitation

Marking the 40th anniversary of the death as a Martyr (Shahida) of Dalal Mughrabi"

The invitation carries a photo of terrorist Dalal Mughrabi who led the Coastal Road massacre, in which 37 were murdered, 12 of them children, and the logo of the Yasser Arafat Foundation.

Text on image: "Marking the 40th anniversary of the death of Martyr Dalal Mughrabi

Under the auspices of the Yasser Arafat Foundation and its museum

The National Committee for Marking the Anniversary of the Deaths as Martyrs of Dalal Mughrabi and Her Comrades invites you to participate in an event to mark the anniversary on Sunday, March 11, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. at Yasser Arafat Museum (behind the mausoleum of President Yasser Arafat)"

[Official Fatah Facebook page, March 10, 2018]

The Yasser Arafat Foundation is, according to the foundation's website, "an independent and non-profit organization" that "receives governmental support and undertakes functions of governmental nature related to the preservation of the heritage of the [late PLO] President [Arafat]." The foundation emphasizes that "it enjoys legal, fiscal, and administrative independence," despite the fact that they receive "governmental allocations" of funding. Likewise, the "honorary president" of the foundation "is the president of the Executive Committee of the PLO/President of the Palestinian National Authority" - meaning the current foundation president is PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The honorary president approves membership on the foundation's Board of Trustees. At the time of writing, PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah is on the Board of Directors, and several PA, Fatah, and PLO officials are on the Board of Trustees.The foundation was established in 2007 via Presidential decree. [The Yasser Arafat Foundation, http://www.yaf.ps/?url=posts/show/541/The_Foundation, accessed March, 2018]